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Sega packed several Sonic games on a single disc. Unfortunately, the company chose games from the hedgehog's lackluster 1994-1997 period.
September 7, 2005 | 8:16 PM PSTby: Matthew Green
Several years ago Sega stuffed the best that Sonic the Hedgehog has to offer into the compilation title Sonic Mega Collection. The title sold well enough on the Nintendo GameCube to prompt the release of a Plus version for other platforms, but one highly demanded title of days-gone-by eluded both iterations: Sonic the Hedgehog CD. Fans clamored long enough and loud enough that Sega has finally brought Sonic CD back to the store shelves along with several other seldom-seen Sonic titles with Sonic Gems Collection.
Features
Considering that Sonic Gems Collection is a compilation disc, it would be inappropriate (and unfair) to review the collection taken as a whole. Instead the parts that make up the sum must be showcased separately, highlighting the bright spots and briefly dwelling on the disappointments.
Toot Toot Sonic Warrior
Sonic the Hedgehog CD is what Sega considers to be the highlight of this disc (the case even brags as such), but this is not the 1993 Sega CD version of the game. Sonic CD was ported to the PC in 1995, and that port is what made it into Gems. Don’t fret – the changes are for the better. The original animated clips that play in the beginning and end of the game are now displayed in fullscreen mode instead of the tiny window from the Sega CD days, plus the animations are no longer compressed to fit on a mere compact disc. The animations can now be seen the way they went meant to be seen all those years ago.
Time travel is a key element in Sonic CD as Dr. Robotnik is out to harness the time powers of the mysterious Little Planet. Sonic must venture across three different time periods (past, present, and future variations of the various levels) and the usual assortment of wacky environments to recover the Time Stones and save Little Planet. Fans of the original Sonic the Hedgehog titles from the days of the Sega Genesis will feel right at home here, as Sonic CD is somewhat derived from the original Sonic the Hedgehog. The powers of CD storage allowed the developers to add extra animation to Sonic’s actions as well as enhanced music to the game. Those who know Sonic CD’s long past know of the ongoing debate regarding which soundtrack is better: the original Japanese music or the unique American tunes. Only the American soundtrack is available in the North American version of Gems, and while this would have been a perfect opportunity to make both soundtracks available for players to choose between, Sega chose not to offer both due to licensing reasons.
Sonic CD is certainly fun and familiar, but suffers from a few issues. The side-scrolling platformer genre has evolved in the last decade, and as such there are some poor level designs that seem so easy to fix knowing what gamers and developers know now. Spikes pop out of the ground in seemingly random places, large bricks fall from above, and enemies toss projectiles at key moments. Just as Sonic begins to gather speed, something appears from out of nowhere and stops him. While this is expected in a classic Sonic game to some extent, it should not happen over and over and over again in the same few seconds of gameplay. This can be especially frustrating because in order for Sonic to travel through time, he must tag a signpost and run, run, run at top speed for five seconds. Slowing or stopping cancels the time jump. A time trial mode rounds out the game, although only the levels from the Present time period are available.
On the whole this rendition of Sonic CD is done well, but there are problems in its original design that are beyond the scope of what a simple revival can enhance. Sonic CD is so legendary because so few gamers have played it (until now). For many it is the last new classic Sonic game to conquer, and while the game is fun, high expectations may fall as flat as Sonic after being knocked down by a falling brick.
Sonic the Fighters
Living In The City
Sonic R originally appeared on the Sega Saturn in 1997 and was ported to the PC in 1998. That PC incarnation is what appears in Sonic Gems Collection, bringing with it random weather effects and enhanced visuals to the game’s levels. This is a racing game without the vehicles. Sonic and friends run through the 3D racetrack levels on foot (except for Amy Rose and Dr. Robotnik). This can be confusing, as the first impulse is to play the game as one would a 3D action platformer such as Sonic Adventure. Doing so will not work. Sonic and friends control like a vehicle, yet move like a platformer character. Holding either the B button or forward on the control stick accelerates the characters, the L and R buttons execute sharp turns (as in F-Zero), and the A button engages a special move: a jump, a glide, a bomb, and so on depending on the character.
Although it clocks in woefully short with only five racetracks, Sonic R is one of the stronger games in the compilation. Each track contains hidden Chaos Emeralds and emblems that must be collected in order to unlock new characters, such as Metal Sonic or Eggrobo. The Time Attack mode is a standard time trial with a twist, challenging players to tag the other characters in the race or to collect the balloons hidden on the track in out-of-the-way places. Two players can even race together in multiplayer mode. The weakest point of the game is the insipid lyrics found in every single background tune. A sample, part of a larger block of words that repeat endlessly: “Living in the city / You know you have to survive / You've got to keep that dream alive / Where everything is free / Can't you see?” Thankfully the vocals can be disabled in the game’s options menu.
Features
- Includes Sonic CD and eight other Sonic titles
- Arcade title Sonic the Fighters comes home for the first time
- Save game progress in all available games
- Unlock hidden artwork and music in the Museum
- Rediscover two unrelated Sega gems, Vectorman and Vectorman 2
- Exclusively for Nintendo GameCube in North America
Considering that Sonic Gems Collection is a compilation disc, it would be inappropriate (and unfair) to review the collection taken as a whole. Instead the parts that make up the sum must be showcased separately, highlighting the bright spots and briefly dwelling on the disappointments.
Toot Toot Sonic Warrior
Sonic the Hedgehog CD is what Sega considers to be the highlight of this disc (the case even brags as such), but this is not the 1993 Sega CD version of the game. Sonic CD was ported to the PC in 1995, and that port is what made it into Gems. Don’t fret – the changes are for the better. The original animated clips that play in the beginning and end of the game are now displayed in fullscreen mode instead of the tiny window from the Sega CD days, plus the animations are no longer compressed to fit on a mere compact disc. The animations can now be seen the way they went meant to be seen all those years ago.
Time travel is a key element in Sonic CD as Dr. Robotnik is out to harness the time powers of the mysterious Little Planet. Sonic must venture across three different time periods (past, present, and future variations of the various levels) and the usual assortment of wacky environments to recover the Time Stones and save Little Planet. Fans of the original Sonic the Hedgehog titles from the days of the Sega Genesis will feel right at home here, as Sonic CD is somewhat derived from the original Sonic the Hedgehog. The powers of CD storage allowed the developers to add extra animation to Sonic’s actions as well as enhanced music to the game. Those who know Sonic CD’s long past know of the ongoing debate regarding which soundtrack is better: the original Japanese music or the unique American tunes. Only the American soundtrack is available in the North American version of Gems, and while this would have been a perfect opportunity to make both soundtracks available for players to choose between, Sega chose not to offer both due to licensing reasons.
Sonic CD is certainly fun and familiar, but suffers from a few issues. The side-scrolling platformer genre has evolved in the last decade, and as such there are some poor level designs that seem so easy to fix knowing what gamers and developers know now. Spikes pop out of the ground in seemingly random places, large bricks fall from above, and enemies toss projectiles at key moments. Just as Sonic begins to gather speed, something appears from out of nowhere and stops him. While this is expected in a classic Sonic game to some extent, it should not happen over and over and over again in the same few seconds of gameplay. This can be especially frustrating because in order for Sonic to travel through time, he must tag a signpost and run, run, run at top speed for five seconds. Slowing or stopping cancels the time jump. A time trial mode rounds out the game, although only the levels from the Present time period are available.
On the whole this rendition of Sonic CD is done well, but there are problems in its original design that are beyond the scope of what a simple revival can enhance. Sonic CD is so legendary because so few gamers have played it (until now). For many it is the last new classic Sonic game to conquer, and while the game is fun, high expectations may fall as flat as Sonic after being knocked down by a falling brick.
Sonic the Fighters
Living In The City
Sonic R originally appeared on the Sega Saturn in 1997 and was ported to the PC in 1998. That PC incarnation is what appears in Sonic Gems Collection, bringing with it random weather effects and enhanced visuals to the game’s levels. This is a racing game without the vehicles. Sonic and friends run through the 3D racetrack levels on foot (except for Amy Rose and Dr. Robotnik). This can be confusing, as the first impulse is to play the game as one would a 3D action platformer such as Sonic Adventure. Doing so will not work. Sonic and friends control like a vehicle, yet move like a platformer character. Holding either the B button or forward on the control stick accelerates the characters, the L and R buttons execute sharp turns (as in F-Zero), and the A button engages a special move: a jump, a glide, a bomb, and so on depending on the character.
Although it clocks in woefully short with only five racetracks, Sonic R is one of the stronger games in the compilation. Each track contains hidden Chaos Emeralds and emblems that must be collected in order to unlock new characters, such as Metal Sonic or Eggrobo. The Time Attack mode is a standard time trial with a twist, challenging players to tag the other characters in the race or to collect the balloons hidden on the track in out-of-the-way places. Two players can even race together in multiplayer mode. The weakest point of the game is the insipid lyrics found in every single background tune. A sample, part of a larger block of words that repeat endlessly: “Living in the city / You know you have to survive / You've got to keep that dream alive / Where everything is free / Can't you see?” Thankfully the vocals can be disabled in the game’s options menu.
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November 20, 2009
